I finally got around to watching this one. I would imagine this had to be a shocking film for its day. Granted I haven't seen too many action films from the thirties. I don't recall any being this violent.
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What took you so long to see it! It is one of the greatest movies ever made.
There was some violent stuff going on for sure. There are some violent movies in the '30s. Check out the original Scarface from 1932.
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Willis O'Brien noticed the violence, too, and complained to Merian Cooper that it would be impossible to create any audience bond with the character. Cooper disagreed, saying "I want the most brutal thing that's ever been on the screen, and the more brutal he is, the more I'll have them crying at the end." I think Cooper was right; I find this Kong more tragic than the less violent, more character friendly remakes.
shareMurders in the Zoo (1933) is quite gruesome for its time. The opening scene features a man having his mouth sewn shut:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbS82BEgo_E
It is violent, but still one of the classic films of all time.
I remember growing up watching it on TV and for years they were only allowed to show an edited version cutting out all the times Kong put people in his mouth, squashed them into the ground with his foot.
That was my experience, too. Every time it was shown on TV when I was kid, it was the edited version. I didn't see the uncut version until I was an adult. Sad that the Hays Code deemed that King Kong was unfit for audiences for its first rerelease in 1938 after the original theatrical version had already been seen. New audiences were gipped. Pre-Code films took a lot more chances with violence, depictions of drug addiction, and racy scenes.
shareYeah, I just rewatched this film and was shocked at just how violent it was. Kong sure liked to put folks in his mouth and give them the chomp, now didn't he?
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The early thirties especially were filled with violent gangster films. Little Caesar, Cagney movies and others .
shareYes, monster movies were still relatively new to talkies when this came out. Imagine the horror in the audience during the train scene. People must have been shtting their pants. And this was the first "big monster" movie. Would have been great to been there and seen the audience reaction.
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